Chinese and American officials met in Hangzhou, the capital of the eastern Chinese province of Zhejiang, to discuss cooperation in combating online sales of products that infringe intellectual property rights. The conference was jointly organized by the State Administration for Market Regulation (SAMR) and the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).
More than 200 representatives from judicial departments and law enforcement, industry associations, brand owners, and e-commerce platforms from both countries participated in the meeting. According to the SAMR's online statement, this meeting is the next step following the signing of a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in intellectual property matters between the SAMR and the USPTO in Beijing last April.
During the discussions, various topics were addressed, such as intellectual property policies and regulations, administrative enforcement practices, cooperation between e-commerce platforms and rights holders, and law enforcement experiences from the United States. China has been focusing efforts on enhancing intellectual property protection to create a more attractive environment for foreign investment and trade, as well as to promote greater openness.
In August of last year, the SAMR issued guidelines emphasizing equal intellectual property protection for domestic and foreign companies. Additionally, in April of this year, a special two-year campaign was launched to enforce legislation related to intellectual property protection.